Fighting Destiny
by asterphoenix247
Summary: Edo is thrown back into time after the most important item in his possession goes missing. The year is now 2005. With a whole new deck and connections Edo must find a way to get back home. Can he change the situation for greater good? AU


**Author's Note: This chapter will be following the anime episode 165. Because of this, I have chosen to take some of the dialog from the actually episode itself and place it into this piece. The point is, I don't own those lines or the character in this story. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

It all began with an action... an action done by a man on the edge of gaining everything he had been searching for...an action that made another boys life fall apart... an action that ruined Edo Phoenix's whole career.

Manjoume was the least ideal person Edo would have chosen to be his apprentice. But recently, when Professor Chronos had begged Edo on his knees to take in Manjoume and help him become a pro duelist as well, Edo didn't feel as though he had much of a choice.

That was his first mistake. This wasn't a single error on his part. No. This was one of many mistakes Edo had made with the older student. However, his most recent miscalculation was what kicked Edo off the bandwagon. Edo's downright stupidity fell on the simple fact that he trusted Manjoume with one of the most important items of his career.

The briefcase. A single item, one he guarded with his life. How stupid he felt now that the older teen had "misplaced it".

This was Edo's greatest mistake. He thought after all this time _he_ was ready. This was obviously his fault. His. Stupid. Fault. If he hadn't let a few simple words distract him, the briefcase would still be safe.

The beauty of a simple word change had quivered Edo's senses . How could a simple usage of a word revolutionize his mentality as to how ready Manjoume really was? Sure the older teen had grown since the time he had first been placed with him. Seeing the shift between being the teens equal to boss was a big deal, especially coming from an egocentric being like Manjoume.

But what was done was done. The briefcase was gone. And Edo was the only one who would have to pay the consequences.

His first reaction was to yell. His second, to beat the crap out of the teen. Edo raised a hand whipping the black head in the face. Manjoume tumbled over, falling back first onto the steps that lied in the apartment complex. On the way down to the floor he knocked into one of the nearby footrests and plummeted that over as well.

"That card has very high development costs!" Edo yelled

He didn't bother trying to come at the teen one again. What was done was done. He could be angry about it, which he was, but taking his anger out on Jun wasn't going to get the card back. Nothing was going to get the card back.

He wanted to yell again. Manjoume didn't understand the severity of his action upon him and that made him angrier than anything else. Before he could yell again however Miss. Emeralda spoke up.

"Edo, the chairman is on his way." She interrupted.

Crap. The first thing that popped into his head. Everything seemed to be falling apart. The briefcase and that card were missing and now the chairman was on his way. He sighed. There was nothing more to do. What was done was done.

"I understand."

With that, he straightened up his tie and strutted past the boy still lying shamefully on the floor.

He could care less about Manjoume at that point; in fact he never cared for the other teen. It was Manjoume's mistake and he had for pay for it.

He wasn't even outside the door of the complex when he heard the yells of Emeralda. She was lecturing Manjoume, saying how ashamed she was of someone like him. Yes. For now this would do.

With that, he left his apartment, leaving his sponsor to deal with his nuisance.

* * *

It was going to be a horrible day. The most horrible of all horribly bad days. Today would top off the scale of practically every horrible event that had ever occurred to Edo. It would top off the time when Edo discovered Saiou had dedicated himself to the light or when he himself had been sucked into the darkness.

When Edo walked into the chairman's office all hope was lost. The severity of his actions were about to have its consequences and Edo was ready to hear the worst. The chairman of the Senrigan Group greeted him with the most respect Edo deserved. That didn't stop him from getting straight to the point.

"That is the final card created by the aggregated power of Senrigan Group." he began. "If that has gone missing, you will have to undergo great penalty."

"I understand."

Yes, he did understand the consequences. There was no denying the fact that he messed up big time and was getting what he rightfully deserved. Fire burned in Edo's eyes, fire that only ignited on rare occasions. The chairman saw this. The determination in the young boys face. He was ready for it. Ready for the worst.

Yet the chairman sat in his large chair in confusion. The boy looked as though he were ready to come and take anything in his way, so then why was he sending in someone else for his duel?

"In that case, what is this then?"

Emeralda who had been standing by the chairman's side flipped a switch on a remote she had in her hands. An image on the screen adjacent to them showed Manjoume preparing for a duel. Not just any duel, the Duel Edo had scheduled to have at Duel Academy that very day.

What really seemed to get Edo was how much worse things could have gotten as the day went by. The change of events as Manjoume dueled Judai was not part of the plan. Edo was just as shocked as the chairman when he realized exactly who had been dueling. Great. Now he just wanted to ruin his career even more.

Despite being furious at Manjoume's action the chairman didn't seem to hold the same frustration and anger in the situation.

"I'm a gambler myself Edo. I'll give you a chance." the chairman spoke as though Edo had planned for Manjoume to take his place all along.

"But if that young kid wins, I will forgive you for your mistake but if he should lose..."

Yes. He understood completely what the Chairman was implying.

"It is clear I will quit being a Pro."

* * *

"Mind telling me what the hell happened to you?" Ryou questioned

He leaned against the counter of his kitchen unit and watched as Edo prepared his tea. It was simple and so very like him to come over and prepare himself something. But no. Even Ryou could feel the shift of energy as he made his typical beverage.

Edo was drained. Mentally. Physically. Every ounce of energy in his body was gone. He could barely place a tea bag in his cup let alone pour the water.

"Well what happened?"

Edo turned once his tea had finished brewing. He took a step past the older man finding the living room. Ryou followed. Edo admired the way the other man looked up to him as though he were someone of importance. That would change. It would all change today.

"I've terminated my title as a pro."

Edo took a sip of confidence from his black tea. He was ready for it. Ready to hear Ryou's bitter next words.

"You have completely lost it Phoenix, though I can't say I am too shocked by that."

Yes, it was to be expected. The insanity Ryou must have felt toward the younger man. Sanity that wasn't necessarily required for Edo Phoenix. Only sanity would have explained Edo's smug little smirk as Ryou talked. Lecturing him about how stupid his decision was.

It _was_ stupid. Then again, trusting Manjoume with the briefcase was _also_ stupid

Edo confessed everything. Everything that had happened that horribly horrible day. He told him every detail, every decision he chose to make. He explained how he fired Manjoume only minutes before heading over to the apartment. By the time Edo finished, the contents of his drink were gone.

Ryou sat on the couch parallel from the younger boy who was plastered in his own chair. There were only a few people Edo could trust. Ryou was one of the few. Hell, he was practically the only one Edo trusted these days. They had gone through hell and back only earlier that year the time spent in the alternate dimension controlled by the Supreme King had brought them closer. Closer than they ever imagined they would have been. They were...friends. Or at least that's how it felt, then again nothing made much sense when either one thought of the relationship.

"What are your plans then?"

As though Edo had a clue. Plans? What plans? There had been absolutely no time to think let alone plan anything. To plan what would happen next was the most important detail but the one thought that hadn't popped up once in Edo's mind today. Time had simply zipped on by since the morning. How could everything go so wrong so fast?

Edo shrugged, and placed the cup and saucer on the coffee table. Ryou however made an annoyed sound.

"Well you're not staying here if that's what you're thinking."

"I'm not broke Ryou; I'm just out of a job."

He was enjoying this. Edo could see it, the pleasure in Ryou's eyes. The superiority he had once held was leaving Ryou's eyes. He was going to lose him too. He could feel it. Losing the last thing he had possession off. Damn. This was turning into an even worse day than he thought.

Edo stood and brushed his suit off. He was leaving before he could manage to ruin the last thing he had.

"You didn't fuck up Edo." Ryou called as he headed for the door.

Edo stopped. He hated the fact he had stopped. Ryou was his poison, the only poison he wanted in his body. He couldn't control himself sometimes because of the other man. Edo scrunched up his hand in anger. He couldn't take all this torture anymore at least not in front of Ryou.

"If I didn't fuck up, why am I being punished?"

"Because life's a bitch. If it were a whore, it would be easy."

His signature smug expression pealed its way onto his face. Of course. So simple, yet so true. Life wasn't made to stroll around easily in. No. It was made to knock a person around senseless and make them beg for it to stop. Edo wasn't the begging type. He was going to live through it. Maybe not happily but defiantly live through it.

In the mean time, he was going to get away. Find shelter and protect his friend from his destiny.

"I don't care if you stay." Dryness hit Ryou's voice.

He knew it. Ryou was an open book to Edo. A children's book in fact. Simple to read and easy to understand. It wasn't good enough however. Sure spending the night with Ryou would have been the ideal thing but he wasn't going to take any chances with Ryou, at least not unless he begged.

"If you want me so badly, beg for it."

Ryou grew silence. Edo paced back to the older man the clicking of his heels echoed through the complex. He stopped. Stopped right in front of Ryou. The older man had his lips pressed tightly against one another. Fire that once burned in his eyes whenever he defied Edo was dimming. Yes. He was losing him, and losing him fast.

"Did you hear me Hell Kaiser? Beg for me." He hissed.

He hated being the desperate type but longed for Ryou's submissive tendencies. He wanted him to beg. He wanted Hell Kaiser to remind him that he was still in control. This was the ultimate test and Ryou was winning.

"Do you want me to put the cup in the sink before I leave?"

"You don't have to."

Edo left without a goodbye. Everything was lost. The briefcase, the card, his career, and even his friend. They had all slipped from his fingers in the process of 24 hours.

The walk through the dead Domino City was quiet. Occasional sounds of sirens went off as he walked. Walking where, he didn't know. His apartment was his best guess but the thought of finding Manjoume there made Edo choose otherwise.

The night was dark. Not completely dark but dark enough to shroud anything. Edo cut though an alleyway. He was heading in the direction of Saiou's place. He was bound to stick with him unlike the man he called his friend.

Lost in thought, Edo barely noticed the men creeping up on him. It was too late. By the time Edo's instincts kicked in, he found himself with a knife pressed against his neck. Panic wasn't something he felt.

"Give me all you've got and you live."

He couldn't help but scoff at the comment. It was only one man. He could take him in his sleep if he really wanted to.

"Give. Me. The. Money." The mugger repeated every word led to the man pressing the blade harder against Edo's smooth skin.

Edo found the opportunity to finally fight back. He grabbed the wrist of the other man and bent it backwards. It was easy to get the blade out of the muggers hand. When it flew to the floor Edo saw the stakes change. What had once been considered an "equal" battle had now leaned to his advantage?

He expected this was only happening because of who he was. It wasn't exactly public knowledge that he was no longer a professional duelist and partially everyone knew who he was.

Edo was ready to give the mugger what he asked for when he stopped. He couldn't tell why he stopped but a ripple of pain expanded on back of his head. He tried to turn around and only got a glance of another man before he fell over and having everything turn to black.


End file.
